Andrey Ratnikov - an expert in the study and organization of autonomous sewage systems, a member of the Union of Designers of Engineering Systems of Buildings. One of his inventions is a self-contained septic tank that can be used to treat wastewater in private homes and cottages.
What is a septic tank?
To begin with, there are two possible methods of wastewater treatment.
- Natural cleaning. Natural water purification processes take place in the soil and reservoirs. This is due to the biological processes of oxidation. Thus, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that exist in water and soil purify wastewater flowing through them. If the amount of wastewater is not too large, then natural processes can clean it up on their own.
- Artificial. With impressive volumes of wastewater, biochemical processes cannot be enhanced naturally. A large accumulation of pollution, on the contrary, slows down the speed of natural processes, therefore, in order to avoid environmental disasters, artificial conditions are created for their purification.
A septic tank is an artificially created structure designed tofor pre-treatment of a small amount of domestic wastewater. In simple words, this is a filter that retains small substances that fill polluted waters.
Such devices are widely represented on the market by foreign manufacturers, but Ratnikov's septic tank can be developed and installed independently. At the same time, installation costs will be minimal, unlike other technologies, and the result will exceed all expectations.
Where you can install a makeshift sewer system
In order to avoid soil erosion under the building, septic tanks and purification systems are installed at a distance of 5 meters from buildings, nearby buildings must also be taken into account.
If a septic tank is planned to be installed in the garden, then it should be borne in mind that the root system of trees can adversely affect the efficiency of the structure. To avoid a decrease in efficiency, you should choose a place within a radius of 2-3 meters from which trees do not grow.
It is strictly forbidden to install home-made cleaning systems in the territory of sanitary protected zones, rocky terrain where the soil does not perform cleaning functions, and in areas prone to landslides.
Device diagram and principle of operation
The purification system consists of pipes through which sewage water from house drains enters the rings in the septic tank system, where primary wastewater treatment takes place, and then enters a cleaning well or another septic tank ring. ATthe system must also include ventilation pipes and gas outlets.
Calculate the correct design of Ratnikov's septic tank will help the works presented by him. On average, one person produces 200 liters of wastewater per day, respectively, the rings should be of the same volume. The scheme allows you to install one massive sewer ring or several with the required total volume. To do this, the cleaning containers are connected to each other in series using pipes, which contributes to their communication with each other. This method also allows you to increase the life of the system and to clean the filters from solids as rarely as possible.
Preparing the pit
Rings under the septic tank should be installed at a depth of three meters from the surface of the earth. The pit for the septic tank should be large and roomy. All sewer rings will be located here. Also, the pit should have additional space for backfilling gravel. On average, it should be 30 centimeters wider than the structure.
The bottom of the pit must be carefully leveled. After that, it should be sprinkled with a 15 cm layer of sand and filled with water in order to ensure maximum shrinkage.
If you plan to use concrete rings for sewage without a bottom, then the bottom of the pit should be concreted, and then place the rings in it and process the joints of the structures.
Installing a septic tank
First of all, the rings under the septic tank are laid on the bottom. Further, from the inside, they should be waterproofed with layershot bitumen, and glue it with rolled insulation from the outside. The filter well is placed after the sump. A pre-prepared composition of gravel, small stones and other cleansing earth components should be laid at the bottom. The height of the embankment must be at least 30 cm.
The next step is the installation of overflows. For these purposes, pipes made of any materials, both iron and plastic, can be used. The inlet pipe should be located 5-6 centimeters higher than the outlet. In order to ensure the circulation of wastewater from top to bottom, a sewer tee is mounted at the ends of the pipes. The outlet of purified water should go through a pipe directed deep into the soil, with a horizontal inclination.
The ventilation pipe must be at least 70 cm high from ground level and connected between all compartments of the system.
When the structure is assembled, it should be covered with a roof and covered with soil.
Advantages of installing a Ratnikov septic tank
- Complexes of biochemical wastewater treatment processes take place inside the system.
- A self-created septic tank will cost several times cheaper than its industrial counterparts.
- The average service life of such structures is 15 years.
- The septic tank according to Ratnikov from the rings allows you to create a cleaning system designed for individual needs.
- Filters do not require frequent replacement.
- You can assemble Ratnikov's septic tank using even improvised materials.
Summing up, it can be noted that the works of Ratnikov provide detailed instructions for creating an autonomous wastewater treatment system with minimal financial costs, not inferior to Western counterparts of this system. But the design of the Ratnikov septic tank and the installation of the system require detailed calculations of the load of the sewer system.
